Flooring



Sept-'29, 1953 H. G. MACDONALD 2,653,358

' FLOORING Filed sept. 5. 195o FIG. @o 32 2 INVENTO HERBERT G. MACDO LD BY QM ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1953 FLOORING Herbert G. Macdonald, Monrovia, Calif., assignor to Amco Development Company, Monrovia, j

Calif., a partnership Application September 5, 1950, Serial No. 183,128

(o1. .2o-f7) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to flooring and more particularly to an inexpensive and easily laid prefabricated flooring block.

In one aspect, the invention contemplates a flooring block of rectangular shape comprising a plurality of parallel adjoining rows of wood strips of random length and exible means joining the strips in block form. The flexible means may take the form of a waterproof backing, for example a saturated building felt, or of a flexible adhesive disposed between the abutting edges of the several pieces forming the individual block. In one form of the invention at least one of the several rows making up each block consists of two or more separate pieces of wood in end-to-end abutment, and in the preferred form of the invention all of the rows in each block consist of two or more separate lengths of wood. The advantage of this construction will become apparent.

Flooring in accordance with the invention has two major advantages. The blocks as described above may be and are fabricated exclusively from wood presently designated in the trade as scrap or waste Scrapk generally constitutes strips of from about two to eight inches in length and which at present have no value for flooring purposes. The use of this otherwise waste material represents not only a conservation but also an appreciable economy. For example, hardwood scrap can be purchased in the market for about $.02 a square foot as compared to something in excess of $.16 per square foot for longer strips of the same wood.

Not only is it possible to use scrap in the iiooring block of the invention but it is desirable to do so. `One of the principal recommending features of the present block is its exibility, asa result of which the block shapes itself to the contours of the sub-flooring. In this respect the block is similar to asphalt tile in avoiding any high spots or protruding edges as a result of unevenness in the sub-flooring, ybut differs from any wood ooring presently in use.v This desirable ilexibility is enhanced by use of scrap or waste. By assembling each block so that two or more separate end-to-end abutting pieces go into one or all of the parallel rows forming the block, exibility is achieved longitudinally as well as transversely of the rows.

The invention will be clearly'understood from the following detailed description thereof taken in relation to the. accompanying drawing where-'- Fig. 1 shows a sectionof floor laid with blocks in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken through' one form of the block of the invention as on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig, 3 is a similar sectional elevation of another form of the invention; andr Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of still another form of the invention as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 a number of blocks It, I I, I2, etc., are laid on and bonded to a concrete sub-nooring I4 with mastic I5. The blocks may be laid as shown so that the parallel rows of each block are transverse to the parallel rows of an adjoining block in the conventional parquet manner or in any other desired pattern or conguration.

One form of the block of the invention is shown in sectional elevation in Fig. 2 as taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the block I0 comprises four rows I6, Il, I8, i9 of wood strips with each row comprising two separate strips in end-to-end abutment and with the point of abutment of the strips in one row being spaced from the point of abutment of the strips in an adjoining row. This embodiment makes use of conventional tongue and grooved strips and after assembly of the block the exposed edges of the outer strips are faced oil and squared to flt against an adjoining block. The several rows I 6, II, I8, I9 are bonded on a single, flexible, waterproof backing 20. The block III may be laid on the concrete sub-flooring I4 with a layer I5 of mastic and, because of the flexibility mentioned above, shapes itself to the contour of the sub-flooring insuring a smooth joint with an adjoining block. This is an important consideration when flooring a concrete slab since the inevitable surface variations of the slab will result in projecting edges, unstable blocks, etc., if a more rigid form of flooring is used.

A similar block 22 is shown in Fig. 3 and comprises four parallel rows 23, 24, 25, 26 preferably consisting of two separate strips of woodV in each row and bonded to a flexible backing 28. The block 22 of Fig. .3 differs from the block lil of Fig. 2 in the absence of tongue and groove connection between adjoining rows of the block. Such tongue and groove connection is not necessary to the practice of the invention if a backing sheet is employed since the blocks are held in edge-to-edge abutment by the backing. The block 22 may be laid with equal facility and will present the same appearance as the block I0 of Fig. 2 even on a concrete surface having the usual uneven contour.

A somewhat diierent embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 4 as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. The block I2 as shown in trans- Abonding agent has set. lthus formed 'thereafter cut into 'unit lengths Many rubber base flexible adhesives, available v Y commercially, are satisfactory for this use. AS

shown in Fig. 1 the row 32, for example, is coni# posed of two separate -,end-to-end abutting pieces. With the longitudinalfc'dgesjoinedby a flexible adhesive, no union is necessary between the abutting ends ofthe several pieces in a given row. As in the foregoing embodiment, preferred practice in fabricating a block of this type comprises providing at least two separate endtofendabutting pieces each block row.

The bien; 'l1 of Eig. 1 illustrates the possibility of employing three or evenfour 'separate pieces in a `vsingle row, thegreater the number lof pieces impartinaaddtion Y Ihe iiooring bldcks-of 'th'epresent invention have "a great many advantages, some of which have been pointed cnt above. `Thus the biock makes use of wood which isjordinarily discarded and he nce isyery inexpensivewith regard to materials employed. Secondlmthe block has a (melee 'of 'il'exibility not 'heretofore achieved in wood flooring which permits it to Yshape vitself to :subhooring contours 'andwhich in the preferred form of the invention, vi/"herein each adjoining row `Offri, given block constitutes two or more sep- 'arate'end-to-'end abutting pieces, has a flexibility I'along 'aXes normal to eachother. Moreover, the bio-ck is very easily nio Abeeause of this segnale-v r'and :for 'the furtlfier reason that no interconnection `is required between ,adjoining blocks. Since no nail` s `are requiredin laying th`e .bl-ocks of the inve'ntion,V their effective life is ^much greater than ordinary wood flooring o f the j saine thickness Particularly 'is this true in the embodiment oflig. '3 wherein the entire thickness Aof the wood stri-ps is available `for wear.

Thejfloorin fas shown*and described readily adapts itself to 1'c'orfi'tinu'ous mass scale production which is preferably carried out in producing blocks 'ofthe types shown in Figs. 2 and 3 substantially :as 'fol'lows A strip :of flexible backing o'f 'the appropriate v'width lis carried continuously tpastan"('J'r'e'ratc'lr who applies a coating of mastic Vor tlif-r bonding agent thereto. A second operator having access 'to a supply of random Alength waste strips places these on the backing in a conm Ytin'uo'us fashion and in four adjoining rows 'as `shown Vin the drawing. This Operator need only vtake Vcare 'that the end-to-end abutment of edjoining strips in one row does not coincide with the e'ndtoend `alnitnient of adjoining strips in 'an 'adjacent row, To fabricate the Vpreferred yforni 'of the invention this operator should `also make sure 'that in 'any unit length, two or more strips are in'erid-to-end abutment in each row so that when this 'unit length is out from the 'continuous length 'it will have the maximum longitudinallexibility as'described above. In the next operation, which 'may becarried out manually or automatically, the strips are urged together so that they will be in'cls'e relationship before the The continuous strip and the unitsare stored for a period while exerting a bonding pressure between the wood 'and the backing. This storage 'is con'ven'i'eii'tly accomplished 'by stacking 'a number "of units Vand applying a `Weight `to the top unit.

vspeot to the abutting ends in lan 'adiacent r limited, the bockte'ndin'g to Yconform both A similar method may be used to fabricate the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4. In this method a carrier strip, which may be canvas or some other form of backer, is conveniently employed to; c arry the work past successive operators', the first of whichjinay apply a a flexible adhesive as a lcontinuous coating or in Y separate globules in the grooves or on the tongues o'f the separate pieces of wood. A second operator then forms these pieces into a continuous length rof the appropriate number of parallel rows, the several rows are urged together as in the labove dslolrihed method and the continuous length is cut into units of the appropriate length. The cutting isconveniently done after the bonded rows are discharged from the carrier belt.

The blocks may be made in substantially any size and including any nuniber of rows. The Width is conveniently determined asa multiple of the 4width vof the lindivid'ual strips and length is determinedv'only by convenience in handling. Any method "may be used for -fabricating the block of the invention, those described being merely presently preferred methods.

l. A V'rectang'i'ilar Aparquet o'orin'g block for forming with other I'similar blocks acoveri'r'fg 'for La subfloor and Ycomprising a flexible backing strip coextens'ive with the block, a pluralityof juxtaposed woodjpieces `'affixed Yto the backing strip and varranged thereon in aplurality of rowsfabutting but'no't rigidly fastened at theirs'ides so that the block is exiblefin 'a direction across ythe rows, 'each'of the rows :beingfcomposedofja plurality of juxtaposed pieces having abutting but yunjoined planar ends s o that the block is 'exible in the direction ofthe rows, with thejabutting ends in one row staggered with respect to Athe abutting ends in an adjacent row so that the dex- Vibility in the Vdirection o f the Vrows is limited, 'the block tending to conform in both directions to the irregularitiesofa subfloor onfivhich itis laid with the flexible backing strip downward.

2. A rectangular parquet ooring block for forming with other similar blocks a covering for a'suboorj'and 1 com rising a flexible backing strip coextensive withthefblock, a plurality of juxtaposed wood pieces aflixed to the backingstrip'and v'arranged 'thereon "a plurality of rows abutting but not rigidly fastened at their vsides's'o that the block is flexible in "a direction across the rows, each of the rows being composed of a plurality of juxtaposed lp'iecesofrandom length having 'abutting butunjoined 4planar lends s-o that vthe block is flexible in the direction-oi the rowsQwit'h the abutting ends tin 'one Irow*staggered withrev so u' 'is eirections to the irregularities of vva subfloor "on which it is 'lai-d with the flexible backing strip downward.

that the flexibility in the direction of To is'EfreEPJI G. MACDONALD.

References Cited in Ythe file Vof this `'patent UNITED STATES PATENTs Number Name Date 1,854,512 vHeures f --Apln 1.9, 1932 2,091,476 Eimendorr f f Aug. e1, 1937 2,399,124 Kahr Apr. 23, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number jogrpiy Date 291,256 qreatjeritain 1; Qfflzs 139,113 switzerlandfrc- Yar-1930 

